Leicester Tigers centre Manu Tuilagi said he would be ready to play for his country against Wales on Sunday, after just 70 minutes of rugby in five months.

The 22-year-old made a successful return to action in his club's bonus-point 41-18 win against Newcastle at Kingston Park yesterday.

Only a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on curtailed his attempts to play a full 80 minutes after a torn pectoral muscle had kept him sidelined since September.

Tuilagi has now joined up with the England squad at their Pennyhill Park training base and said he would be ready to play a part in the crucial Six Nations clash at Twickenham, if asked by head coach Stuart Lancaster.